Man, I was way off…

Posted on 25. Nov, 2009 by sethcaskey.

I had an audition last Friday, and in my opinion – did not do a good job.

“A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing.”

I had just been given a Glengary opportunity, and I did not feel like a closer.

I called my manager, to let her know the audition was over, and as best I could said, “It was great.”

“Ok, well I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from them.”

I love her attitude.  She’s so caring, optimistic and unflappable.

No less than an hour later my phone rings, and sure enough it’s her letting me know that they put a pin in me, and that we should know on Monday whether or not I had booked the part. WHAT?! Seriously?

My self-doubting mind immediately kicked in, and I replayed the audition over-and-over again. Each time, I felt like I could have done so much better.

Flash forward to Monday afternoon when my phone rings again and it’s Tina letting me know that I had in fact booked the job and will shoot the week after Thanksgiving. After calling my wife, and doing the Balki Bartokomous Dance of Joy, I stopped to think about what had just happened and came to the following conclusions:

• We’re our toughest critics. As actors, we are not qualified judges of our own work. It’s impossible for us to be objective.
• As much as we may think that we have it figured out – there really is no telling what “they” are looking for.
• When we stay present, and go with whatever moment presets itself – we open ourselves up to let something greater come out.

So with tomorrow being Thanksgiving there is so much to be thankful for. One is for the many relationships that I have built over the last two years working at The Actor’s Key. Those relationships are no doubt what got me in the door, and I can only imagine what helped me book the role.

The journey up until now has been exciting, frustrating, thrilling and exhausting. I have wanted to quit and throw in the towel many more times that I’d like to admit. But just like 2009 -I’m not dead yet.

Happy Thanksgiving, and next week I start a new video series on Casting Director Workshops and how to make the most of them as an actor.

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2009: I’m not dead yet…

Posted on 19. Nov, 2009 by sethcaskey.

42 days and counting.

That’s how long we have until it becomes 2010. (Which raises the question is two-thousand-ten OR twenty-ten?) Verdict still out.

Anyway, a friend of mine posted to Twitter a few weeks ago that he was disappointed that he hadn’t reached one of his goals for 2009. Now granted it was a lofty one, but an attainable one none the less.

My first response was to say, “2009′s not over yet. There’s still time.”

That was met with a, “Yeah, but it’s not likely to happen.”

Grrrrr…..

One of my favorite things to do over the holidays is to sit down and write out my goals for the coming year. I buy a new notebook, get a new pen (I’m a bit of an office supply nerd) and spend a couple days thinking through the areas of my life and come up with goals I want to accomplish.

A few days ago I went back and looked over those that I set for 2009 to see how I am doing. (I try and do this at least once a quarter to stay on track)

I opened them up and realized that it’s November and I haven’t yet reached many of them. Most of them are acting related, and when it comes right down to it, I really have no control over. I can’t “make” someone hire me for a “minimum of one co-star role on an episodic television show.”

So what’s my point?

2009 is NOT DEAD YET!

While there may only be a few short weeks left, why not close out this year with a bang. Why not hunker down and spend the next 42 days taking some specific steps to achieve one of your goals.

You may not reach it, but I guarantee the New Year’s mojito will taste much sweeter knowing that in these last 42 days you really did something and “mint” it.

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Playing to the Edge

Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by sethcaskey.

At the risk of sounding like some sort of self-help guru, I want to share some really valuable information that I learned a few weeks ago while attending the Acting Success Now seminar with Robert & Michelle Colt.

Playing to the Edge
The idea of playing to the edge is best expressed when comparing it to practicing yoga. Even if you don’t practice yoga, I’m sure you will get the analogy.

In yoga there are three types of people.

• those who don’t push themselves hard enough and therefore do not fully experience the benefits of yoga

• those who push too far and injure themselves
• those who play to the edge

The idea of playing to the edge is pushing yourself just far enough to be outside of your comfort zone, but not so hard that you cause yourself pain.

Yoga is about listening to your body. And I am the first to admit that I am push-myself-to-pain kind of person. Don’t give me a limitation, or tell me I can’t do something – because I will work my ass off to prove you wrong (sounds kind of painful to me). And for a while, I haven’t been listening to the pain that I have been causing myself – stressed out, uptight and not fully being in the moment.

So I’m opting to back off a little. I’m not saying that I have given up on anything – but I’m not in pain. I am working far enough outside my comfort zone to be uncomfortable and allowing myself to fully experience the benefits of growth and real success.

Where are you today in pursuing your dream of being an actor? Do you need to step it up and push yourself a little harder (maybe take a class, set up your website, shoot some scenes for you reel)? Or maybe you’re pushing yourself too hard and need to back off to allow yourself to heal from the pain that you may be causing.

I won’t lie that it’s a delicate balance, and certianly feels uncomfortable for a type-A person like myself. But as I have been reminded lately: Life is unfolding as it should. Can I let it be?

I’ll playing at the edge, hope to see you there.

photo credit gosia janik

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